West Ham United V Leicester City

ok... on paper this is an easy three points... 4th place against the bottom of the table... and for once, it ain't us on the bottom of the table...

but this is West Ham and it's the banana skins which tend to trip us up...

but is this REALLY West Ham? By that I mean the West Ham we've all come to know and cringe over for the past decade or more...

We've gone behind in the past three games and not lost any of them... we've beaten some good teams and are actually legitimately in the fourth place in the table...

so yes, football is a funny old game but there's absolutely no reason why we should not have three more points and at least a couple more goals in the goal difference column at this time tomorrow.

anything less will be a pain in the are but not a disaster.

we got Chelsea and Arsenal in the next week so we need a good morale (keeping not lifting as usual) home win to prepare us for some right old end of year festivities...

only 2015 knows if we'll come down like the christmas decorations as we used to...


interesting times indeed...

I'll be up at 6:59am to watch proceedings live on the telly. Wonder if any of you lot will be around to talk about it...

oh, team news... Noble is still out but expected to be available for Boxing Day - everyone else is fit and raring to go.

Like to think this is a game we should win well however we are West Ham.

Jiggs is probably right about the line up but I think Nolan place could be up for grabs.

Valencia to make it a true 4 3 3 or Amalfitano who I see as the better midfield player.

given the games coming up, our position in the table and leicester's position it must be said this should be a three pointer and really needs to be a three pointer. Then we can settle for gritty points in the tougher games ahead. 


Any less then three points and i will be very gutted. That said, I also have that horrible feeling in my guts that this will be the game that we slip up in.

Team wise, I'd go with

Carroll Sakho

Valencia Downing

Song kouyate

Cresswell Tomkins Reid Jenkison

Adrian

Charlie Ham wrote:Like to think this is a game we should win well however we are West Ham.

Jiggs is probably right about the line up but I think Nolan place could be up for grabs.

Valencia to make it a true 4 3 3 or Amalfitano who I see as the better midfield player.

Could only see Nolan dropping out if Noble is fit; which he isn't. He may go more attacking though with Amalfitano/Zarate instead of Nolan but I doubt it

COYI !!

Tony P wrote:

Charlie Ham wrote:Like to think this is a game we should win well however we are West Ham.

Jiggs is probably right about the line up but I think Nolan place could be up for grabs.

Valencia to make it a true 4 3 3 or Amalfitano who I see as the better midfield player.

Could only see Nolan dropping out if Noble is fit; which he isn't. He may go more attacking though with Amalfitano/Zarate instead of Nolan but I doubt it

COYI !!

We do have a fantastic array of good quality options these days. Unheard of in my time as a Hammer.

Looking at the Table we can not only stay in the Top 4 but if Villa beat United and we Win by two clear Goals then we can actually go 3rd today ! Who at the start of the season would have thought that we would be in the Top 4 for Xmas !?! I know I was after last season was expecting us to struggle again but I`m glad so far I`m being proved wrong !

Would like to see Zarate or Amalfitano start ahead of Nolan but it wont happen

Not my line up .... Pinched from somewhere 


I feel for Leicester.  How many times have we been in their position, desperate for a 1-0 win so as not to be bottom of the league at Christmas?  

However, no room for sentimental stuff even at this time of year. So...........................

C~O~Y~I  

Should be 3 points but as other have said this is West Ham and despite our lofty position the Foxes will look at this as a game that they would target to get something from

As Big Sam said earlier in the week this is a massive game for us considering the next two.

would be nice to be on 31 points by Christmas, only 9 from safety

Will see if I can find a stream for today, was supposed to be going on to an away game pre christmas piss up but have been struck down with flu

Starting 11 as per what Jiggs posted

Foxes leave top scorer Ulloa on the bench

Parking the bus?

Carroll

Lovely touch from the big fella. Carlton, are you watching?

not a great first half by any stretch of the imagination... Leicester well up for it and playing like a team not on the bottom of the table...

fortunately, completely against the run of play and with almost everyone in our penalty box, the clearance comes out to ex-west ham player Konchesky (hard to recognize him with hair) who inexplicably plays a blind back pass into his own half which Carroll runs onto, keeps ahead of the only defender and kinks the ball over the keeper.

Song took a nasty turn and did his ankle but he's still on the field at the end of the first half... we'll be fucked without him over christmas, so hopefully he can shake it off and stay fit.

Some good defending and goalkeeping has kept Leicester out... we rally need to crack down on them in the 2nd half and a couple extra goals would stop this being as nervy as it currently is.

And of course... those extra goals, in conjunction with ManUre currently losing to Villa... we'd end the day in 3rd... which would be awesome.

plus if - when - we win... we might not get above ManUre into 3rd spot... but we'd be 5 points clear of Soton below us...



HAPPY CHRISTMAS....

Goal by the big man. tidy.

would love to see us hang on and even grab that precious second. Only low point is the spuds winning.

Songs knock may be a blessing in disguise if he does not make the ACON

westhamonkey wrote:
plus if - when - we win... we might not get above ManUre into 3rd spot... but we'd be 5 points clear of Soton below us...



HAPPY CHRISTMAS....

oopos... my bad... didn't see the Soton/Everton game in progress - and it's not going our way... but we'll still be okay...

In the driving seat alright, but since the goal everyone seems a bit too eager to punt the high ball forward for my liking. Now BFS has demonstrated yet again his undying loyalty to Nolan, perhaps he will get Amalfitano on which would give us our strongest team at present IMO.
Leicester appear to be playing a Canvey Asshole in midfield, they must be getting really desperate.

magnificent goal from Downing!!!!!

Downing



, Shame the red mancs have got one back

great little looping header from Sakho to feed Downing who dinks it forward and curls the most beautiful shot in past the diving keeper...

2-0

To quote the BBC...

West Ham 2-0 Leicester - Stewart Downing (56 mins)
Posted at 16:13
It has been a day of really excellent goals, and Stewart Downing sticks his name down on the list! Diafro Sakho wins a header 30 yards out, the ball lands at the feet of Downing, he takes one touch to bring it onto his left and then bends it right into the corner. Much like Erik Lamela's goal for Spurs really. We need a goal of the day competition after this lot...

Leicester make a triple substitution...

Tomo is about to be subbed for Collins... looks like an injury... but at least Tomkins is walking off...

We could do with resting Song... we really need him for the Xmas fixtures...

Beautiful, classic goal from Downing!! Right, let's work on that goal difference!

If we weren't 2-0 up and if this were any other team than Leicester... this would be a really nervy game...

they ain't giving up

back in Aug
West ham to finish top half 9/4 , glad i had a few quid on that now